From poker-faced celebrations while bowling in the death overs early in his career to the cold death stare while dismissing batters in the PowerPlay in IPL 2023, Arshdeep Singh’s story is one of belief, adaptability, and evolution. The Punjab pacer was handed the unforgiving task of bowling the death overs in IPL 2020 when Arshdeep’s ice-cool temperament under pressure first caught the eye.
In the following season, he emerged as the second-highest wicket-taker for Punjab Kings with 18 wickets at an average of 19 and impressed with his ability to hold his own in the late overs, so much so that he was the only player, other than Mayank Agarwal, to be retained by the franchise ahead of the major revamp in 2022.
“He’s (Arshdeep) growing with each game, and with each outing he gets better; he is somebody who has a big heart, and I have seen him in close quarters while playing in the IPL,” Arshdeep’s previous captain at Punjab Kings, K.L. Rahul, was quoted as saying.
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“To be the number one death bowler in a team that has (Kagiso) Rabada speaks highly of him. We (India) always want a left-arm seamer, and it is great to have someone like Arshdeep,” Rahul added.
The left-arm pacer’s control at the death only improved as he ended IPL 2022 with the second-best economy rate in the phase, his 7.58 only second to the inimitable genius of Jasprit Bumrah. Little did Arshdeep know that he would soon be filling Bumrah’s shoes, albeit in a very different role, at the international level. Arshdeep made his international debut against England in July 2022 and picked two for 18 in India’s 50-run win.
His first over was a maiden against Jason Roy in the PowerPlay and he would soon take up the mantle of leading the pack with the new ball at the T20 World Cup, in place of the injured Bumrah. Arshdeep duly answered the call of duty as he dismissed Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan in the PowerPlay to set the tone for India at the MCG and was the leading wicket-taker for the Men in Blue in the tournament.
